Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-03-03
SIX BOYS KILL ED.
SEruck BIZ Lehsgh valley Train
Near EasIOu, Pa.


&.se- Ia &N The terrible
accideu; be LeAigA Valley railroad at
Chaii4 Dam, Lear hero, yesterday, has
cast "A gloom over the ebtire city. The
unfortunate boys who met such an un-
timely and terrible fate were
Willie Pierce, aged IL years, son of
Richard Pierce, living on Lehigh street.
John Gregg, aged IA years, son of
Robert Gregg, living on Butler street.
Erwin D. Heath, IA years old, son of
Emanuel Heath, living On Butler street.
Manning Garis, IA years old, stepson of
Charles Fry, living on Washington street.
Charles Bonstein, aged IA years, son of
Samuel Bonstein, living on Twelfth street.
Walter Moon, IL years old, son of Sllas
Moon, living on Lehigh street.
The little fellows all attend the Twelfth
Street public school, and have been for
years close schoolboy friends, spending
all their play time in company. On last
Tuesday several of them went to Chain
Dam and celebrated Washington's birth
day by shooting at mark. During the
day they succeeded in killing couple of
muskrats, and were so elated with tlIeir
success as sportsmen that an excursion
was planned for Saturday. Visions of
pecuniary success as hunters who could
sell the skins of the rats filled their DO, ish
minds, and during the week the excursion
was the theme of talk and the subject of
nightly dreams.
On Saturday at an early hour they left
their homes and went up the Lehigh
Valley railroad track full of boyish enthu.
siasm. Shortly after they started a terri
BILE snow.storm came up, but they were
undaunted and pluckily followed out
the plan which they had mapped out fol
themselves. They were ACCOMPANIED by
Harvey Pierce, aged IA years, brother OF
Willie, who is the only one of the party
who escaped. At noon, after an unsuc.
cessful mornings hunt, the little chaps
started for home, walking down the west,
bound track of the railroad.
Just below Chain Dam, at a sharr
curve, they met train going west ana
crossed over to the east. bound track. all
walking close together, with heads vel
covered with coats and ear tabs. III,
noon passenger train for New York wal
coming down the road, running al re-
duced speed owing to the binding stor m
which was so severe that the enpip,el
could not see moro than 20 feet ahead O
the engine. The windows of the cal
were covered with snow.
At the curve the fireman leaned ont o.
the cab window and saw the bows wbel
OILY few feet away. Nothing could b,
done, as he had barely time to call to ,h,
engineer, who blew one sharp whistle
when the terrible engine crashed into tn,
little crowd, throwing them right and left
OF the seven only one was saved, and IA,
owes his life to the heroism of his deat
brother, who literally threw him off tn
track.
Coroner Weaver was sent for and a,
inquest was held over the bodies, which
had been brought on the baggage. car /,
this place, where they lay in the baggage
room, surrounded by their heartbroI 81
fathers, who had been sent for. Stou
men who sawthe little dead forms and v il
messed the anguish of the poor parent
could not restrain themselves, and al
gathered around were moved to tears.
To-day the little cottage homes in Yves
ward where oil the boys parents resid
were visited, and truly aorrowful sigh
y was. The fathers had recovered from
the first shook and were comparatiyel
calm, but the grief of fond mothers who's
| Oldest born had been SO suddenly takel
away was terrible.
The arrangements for the funerals ar
all made. On tomorrow afternoon tn
bodies Of Erwin D. Heath, John Gregg
Walter Moon and Manning CARTS will B
buried, and on Wednesday the bodies O
Charles Bonsteih and Willie Pierce will
be buried. All the interments will b
made in the Easton cemetery.
The engineer, Monroe Messick, is in
] terrible state Of mind over the fearfu
! accident which he could not prevent an
he is under the DOCTORS hands. TIL
parents all say that no blame can be al
! tached to any OF the train-hands and tn
verdict OF the jury exonerated them an
the company from all blame.